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1  \input texinfo  \input texinfo
2    
3    @c %**start of header
4  @setfilename WinPT  @setfilename WinPT
5    @settitle WinPT - The Windows Privacy Tray; a free GPG front-end
6    @afourpaper
7    @c %**end of header
8    
9  This file describes the Windows Privacy Tray program and its main functions  @titlepage
10    @title Windows Privacy Tray
 This file is free under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2.  
11    
12  Copyright (C) 2006 Timo Schulz  @subtitle A free GUI Front-End for GNU Privacy Guard
13    
14  Version 0.2.0  @author Timo Schlz, Sundar Pillay
15    This file describes the Windows Privacy Tray program and its main functions
16    This file is free under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2.
17    Version 1.1.1 Copyright (C) 2006 Timo Schulz, Sundar Pillay
18    @end titlepage
19    
 @settitle WinPT - The Windows Privacy Tray; a free GPG front-end for Windows  
20    
21  @section Requirements for WinPT  @section Requirements for WinPT
22    
23  First you need to have a working GnuPG 1.4 installtion on the machine you  First you need to have a working GnuPG 1.4 installtion on the machine you plan to install WinPT.
24  plan to install WinPT. If you don't have GPG in your machine, please  If you do not have GPG in your machine, please visit http://www.gnupg.org and download the latest
25  visit http://www.gnupg.org and download the latest GPG version there.  GPG version there. It comes with a graphical installer so there is no need to do the
26  It comes with a graphical installer so there is no need to do this  installation manually.
27  step manually.  
28    You need at least Windows 98/2K/XP, but Windows XP or better is recommend. The program also works
29  You need at least Windows 98/2K/XP, but Windows XP or better is  on NT/95/ME but there is no support for these OS versions any longer. Mainly because the OS
30  recommend. The program also works on NT/95/ME but there is no support  vendor also dropped support and no bug fixes will be provided any longer.
31  for these OS versions any longer.  And it is very likely that the program does not work optimal on such platforms.
32    
33  @section A short Introduction  @section A short Introduction
34    
35  WinPT is a graphical GnuPG front-end which resides in the task bar.  WinPT is a graphical GnuPG front-end which resides in the task bar. It is divided into several,
36  It is divided into several, so-called, managers. There is a manager  so-called, managers. There is a manager for the key(ring), for files and for smart cards.
37  for the keyring, for files and for smart cards. The aim of the program  The aim of the program is to secure email communication and to perform file encryption and
38  is to secure email communication and to perform file encryption.  to allow an easy and user friendly way for key management.
39    
40  @subsection What is GnuPG  @subsection What is GnuPG
41  GnuPG is a tool for secure communication and data storage.  GnuPG is a tool for secure communication and data storage. It can be used to encrypt data and
42  It can be used to encrypt data and to create digital signatures.  to create digital signatures. It includes an advanced key management facility and is compliant
 It includes an advanced key management facility and is compliant  
43  with the proposed Internet standard as described in RFC2440.  with the proposed Internet standard as described in RFC2440.
44    
45  @subsection The Web of Trust  @subsection The Web of Trust
46  For a detailled description of these and other GnuPG topics, I  For a detailled description of these and other GnuPG topics, I recommend the available literature
47  recommend the available literature at http://www.gnupg.org. But  at http://www.gnupg.org. But at least a general overview should be given here.
48  at least a general overview should be given here.  
49    The certification scheme of OpenPGP does not base on a hirachical approach. Instead it uses
50  The certification scheme of OpenPGP does not base on a hirachical  a combination of ownertrust and direct key certification.
51  approach. Instead it uses a combination of ownertrust and direct  Here is an example with the imaginary persons called Alice, Bob, Carol and Dave.
52  key certification. Here is an example with Alice, Bob, Carol and Dave.  
53    Alice knows Bob and checked the fingerprint of Bob's key when he met him personally.
54  Alice knows Bob and checked the fingerprint of Bob's key when he  Thus she knows that the key really belongs to its owner and he trusts Bob to certify other keys.
55  met him personally. Thus she knows that the key really belongs to  Then she issued a signature on Bob's key. Bob knows Carol and also checked her identity.
56  its owner and he trusts Bob to certify other keys. Then she issued  Then he signed her key. Alice does not know Carol, but he knows Bob and Bob trusts Carol.
57  a signature on Bob's key. Bob knows Carol and also checked her identity.  And because Alice trusts Bob, at a level she decided before, he also trusts Carol.
58  Then he signed her key. Alice does not know Carol, but he knows Bob  It's a transitiv relation. Dave is isolated and does not know anybody for the mentioned reasons,
59  and Bob trusts Carol. And because Alice trusts Bob, at a level she  thus he is not in the WoT. Another very important point is, that the signer can decide, after the
60  decided before, he also trusts Carol. It's a transitiv relation.  certification, how much he trusts the key owner to certify other keys.
61  Dave is isolated and does not know anybody from the mentioned persons,  
62  thus he is not in the WoT.  It is very important to check the identify of a key owner. Mostly this is done by comparing the
63  Another very important point is, that the signer can decide,  fingerprint, which were submitted by phone or written down at a personal meeting, with the
64  after the certification, how much he trusts the key owner to  fingerprint of the key in the keyring. Please bear in mind that anybody can create a key with an
65  certify other keys.  email address and a specific name.
66    Thus it is not recommend to sign keys without doing this check before!
67  It is very important to check the identify of a key owner. Mostly  
68  this is done by comparing the fingerprint, which were submitted  The fingerprint of the key is hexadecial (160-bit) sequence divided into 10 groups of 4 hex
69  by phone or written down at a personal meeting, with the fingerprint  digits. You can get the fingerprint of a key by opening the key property dialog. There you can
70  of the key in the keyring. Please bear in mind that anybody can create  mark the fingerprint and copy it to the clipboard. The fingerprint of a key can be compared
 a key with an email address and a specific name. Thus it is not  
 recommend to sign keys without doing this check before!  
   
 The fingerprint of the key is hexadecial (160-bit) sequence divided  
 into 10 groups of 4 hex digits. You can get the fingerprint of a key  
 by opening the key property dialog. There you can mark the fingerprint  
 and copy it to the clipboard. The fingerprint of a key can be compared  
71  to human fingerprints, it is unique for each key.  to human fingerprints, it is unique for each key.
72    
73  Example: 1D75 8108 5BC9 D9FB E78B  2078 ED46 81C9 BF3D F9B4  Example: 1D75 8108 5BC9 D9FB E78B  2078 ED46 81C9 BF3D F9B4
# Line 79  For example via a business card or your Line 77  For example via a business card or your
77    
78  @section Installation of the Program  @section Installation of the Program
79    
80  It is always recommend to use the latest version of the program. You  It is always recommend to use the latest version of the program. You can download it from
81  can download it from http://wald.intevation.org/projects/winpt.  http://wald.intevation.org/projects/winpt. Download the zip file with the binaries inside and
82  Download the zip file with the binaries inside and unpack them in  unpack them in a folder. All files need to be in the same folder, so if you change the folder do
83  a folder. All files need to be in the same folder, so if you change  not forget to move all files.
84  the folder don't forget to move all files.  You should also download and verify the signature of the packet to make sure that the release is
85  You should also download and verify the signature of the packet to  really authentic and were not altered in any way.
86  make sure that the release is really authentic.  
87    To activate the program you just need to start WinPT.exe. You should now see a
88  To activate the program you just need to start WinPT.exe. You should  little (golden key) icon in the taskbar which indicates that the program is running.
89  now see a little (golden key) icon in the taskbar which indicates that  If you want to quit the program, right click on the symbol and select "Exit".
90  the program is running. If you want to quit the program, right click  
91  on the symbol and select "Exit".  Alternative, you may use one of the graphical GPG installers which are available on the internet.
92    I recommend to use Gpg4Win which includes a set of very useful privacy tools, beside WinPT and it
93  Alternative, you may use one of the graphical GPG installers which  is very easy to use with an average size (~4MB). For non-German speaking users, I recommend the
94  are available on the internet. I recommend to use Gpg4Win which  light version because it does not contain the 2 German PDF manuals.
95  includes a set of very useful privacy tools, beside WinPT and it  
96  is very easy to use with an average size (~4MB). For non-German  @subsection Configure the Program
97  speaking users, I recommend the light version because it does not  After the installation not much of the default settings need to be changed. If you prefer a
98  contain the 2 German PDF manuals.  special keyserver, it is propably a good idea to open the keyserver dialog and to set one of the
99    existing keyservers as the default or create a new entry and mark it as the new default.
100    The default keyserver is subkeys.pgp.net, which is the best choice for most users.
101    
102    @subsection The GPG Preference Dialog
103    In this dialog you can change your GPG config and customize its behaviour. Please be advised that
104    in most cases there is no need to overwrite the default GPG path settings.
105    There are three different paths available. First, the GPG home directory. The place where the
106    keyrings are stored and also the config files. The second path points directly to the gpg.exe.
107    The third is the path to the language files,
108    where you usually store your winpt.mo/gpg.mo files. These entries should be only changed when
109    really need and extra caution is needed because with wrong settings, WinPT will not be able to
110    work any longer!
111    
112    The second part of the dialog is the "General GPG options" section. Here you can influence the
113    behaviour of some commands. If you do not know what they mean, it is safe not to change the
114    values and stick with the default ones.
115    For expert users, it is possible to set the signature class of issued key signatures and to set
116    an expiration date for key signatures or to specify an comment in armor files.
117    The "Encrypt to this key" might be useful for anybody who needs to decrypt mails or any data he
118    sent to a recipient. The field value should contain the key ID of the default key pair.
119    
120    @subsection Preferences
121    In the WinPT preference dialog, the user can modify and/or disable the default options. For new
122    users it is suggested to leave the default values as they are, except when there are problems
123    related to the hotkeys.
124    
125    To enable keyring backups, the user can either decide to use the GPG home directory as the backup
126    folder or any other folder. In the latter case, a folder needs to be chosen.
127    The program makes the backup before it terminates and thus it is very important that the keyrings
128    are stil accessable at this moment. For example if you use an USB flash drive to store your keyrings,
129    you should unplug it after the the icon disappeared at the task bar.
130    By default the secret keyring will not be backuped, if you wish that the secret keyring should be
131    also backuped, and this usually means the backup folder cannot be accessed by other people, you need
132    to mark "Backup includes secret keyring".
133    
134  @subsection Getting the Source of the Program  @subsection Getting the Source of the Program
135  As free software, according to the GNU General Public License,  As free software, according to the GNU General Public License, WinPT also offers the source code
136  WinPT also offers the source code for the program. It can be used  for the program. It can be used for reviews, to compile your own binary and/or to modify and/or
137  for reviews, to compile your own binary and/or to modify and/or  redistribute it or just to learn how it works. The source is available at the same place you
138  redistribute it or just to learn how it works. The source is available  downloaded the binary. If not, you should contact the author of the site.
139  at the same place you downloaded the binary. If not, you should  The entire program can be build with free software; the default environment is a cross-compiler
140  contact the author of the site.  hosted on a Linux box. All you need is the mingw32 packages, a working autoconf environment
 The entire program can be build with free software; the default  
 environment is a cross-compiler hosted on a Linux box. All you  
 need is the mingw32 packages, a working autoconf environment  
141  and the libs WinPT depends on (currently gpgme and libgpg-error).  and the libs WinPT depends on (currently gpgme and libgpg-error).
142  It is also possible to build the binary with cygwin/mingw32 on  It is also possible to build the binary with cygwin/mingw32 on Windows but this environment is
143  Windows but this environment is not actively supported and propably  not actively supported and propably needs adjustment of the source.
 needs adjustment of the source.  
144    
 @subsection Configure the Program  
 After the installation not much of the default settings need to  
 be changed. If you prefer a special keyserver, it is propably a good  
 idea to open the keyserver dialog and to set one of the existing  
 keyservers as the default or create a new entry and mark it as the  
 new default. The default keyserver is subkeys.pgp.net, which is  
 the best choice for most users.  
   
 @subsection GPG Options  
 For expert users, the GPG preference dialog might contain some  
 interesting options. For example to set the expiration date of  
 a signature and/or to set the signing level for key signing.  
 It also allows to set a default 'encrypt-to' key and to set  
 the comment in ASCII armored files.  
145    
146  @subsection Preferences  @section Native Language Support
 In the WinPT preference dialog, the user can modify and/or disable  
 the default options. For new users it is suggested to leave the  
 default values as they are, except when there are problems related  
 to the hotkeys.  
   
 To enable keyring backups, the user can either decide to use the  
 GPG home directory as the backup folder or any other folder. In  
 the latter case, a folder needs to be chosen.  
147    
148    The program has the ability to select different languages to provide dialogs and error messages
149    in the native language of the user. Currently German, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil) and Slovak.
150    When WinPT has been installed via a graphical installer, for example Gpg4Win, the language was
151    automatically selected based on the locale Windows environment. If the stand-alone binary was
152    downloaded, WinPT offers at the first start to select a language, based on the .mo file it
153    founded in the current directory.
154    Otherwise the user needs to perform the following steps. The WinPT ZIP archive contains various
155    .mo files (de.mo, jp.mo, sk.mo) and the user needs to find his native language, if available and
156    rename the file to "winpt.mo". For example, if the user prefers German, "de.mo" -> "winpt.mo".
157    Now the user needs to save the locale dir, where the winpt.mo is stored, in the GPG preference dialog.
158    
159  @section The First Start  @section The First Start
160    
161  This section is only important for people who never installed  This section is only important for people who never installed and/or used WinPT before and thus
162  and/or used WinPT before.  no keyrings are available.
163    
164  When the program is started the first time, it offers two choices.  When the program is started the first time, it offers two choices. The one is to generate a key
165  The one is to generate a key pair and the other is to copy  pair and the other is to copy existing GPG keyrings into the current installation.
 existing GPG keyrings into the current installation.  
166    
167  We assume the user will select the first entry.  We assume the user will select the first entry.
168    
169  Now a new dialog is shown which requests some information from  Now a new dialog is shown which requests some information from the user to allow a meaningful
170  the user to allow a meaningful association between the key and  association between the key and the user. If the user prefer RSA keys, the check box should be
171  the user. If the user prefer RSA keys, the check box should be marked.  marked.
172  If the entered data is OK, WinPT then generates a new key pair. As long  But this is a decision of personal taste and does not influence the security or anything else.
173  as this step takes, a progress dialog is shown to indicate the  If the entered data is OK, WinPT then generates a new key pair. As long as this step takes, a
174  enduring process. When the generation of the keypair is done, WinPT  progress dialog is shown to indicate the enduring process. When the generation of the keypair is
175  offers the chance to backup the existing keyrings. This is definitely  done, WinPT offers the chance to backup the existing keyrings.
176  an important decision because if the keyring will get corrupted  This is definitely an important decision because if the keyring will get corrupted or lost, there
177  or lost, there is no way to recover the encrypted data. That is  is no way to recover the encrypted data. That is why it is also important to store the backup, at
178  why it is also important to store the backup, at least of the  least of the secret keyring, at a @strong{safe} place.
179  secret keyring, at a @strong{safe} place.  
180    @subsection Use existing Keyrings and/or Keys
181    If you already have a valid OpenPGP key pair and you do not want to generate a new key pair, you
182    should select the second choice at the first start. Then the program will copy your existing keyrings
183    to the new home directory. Please bear in mind that you need to set the ownertrust manually for each
184    imported key. You can skip this step if you exported the ownertrust manually to a file, but because
185    this is a step for experienced users it is not described here. The most important step is, to set
186    your own key to ultimate ownertrust after import.
187    
188    If you have other OpenPGP programs and you wish to use the keys from this application, it is a good
189    idea to select all keys you want to use and to export them into a single file. Then open the WinPT
190    Key Manager and drag the file into the Key Manager window.
191    
192    @section The Passphrase for the Secret Key
193    
194    First a short explaination what passphrase is. A passphrase is like a password but usually
195    longer, maybe a sentence, which can consists of any 7-bit ASCII characters. It is used to protect
196    your secret key and thus it is very import to chose a secure passphrase. If your computer, and
197    thus the secret key, were stolen and an attacker can guess your passphrase he is able to decrypt
198    all your data and to create signatures in your name! A good passphrase is difficult to guess but
199    easy to remember and should be at least 10 characters long.
200    An easy way to generate a strong passphrase is to use a sentence only you know but you can easily
201    remind and then take the first letter of each word, plus some special characters and maybe even
202    some intentionally made spelling mistakes.
203    
204    Example: Row - row - row your boat, gently down the stream
205    Passphrase: "R - r - ryb,gdts"
206    
207    Never write down your passphrase or share it among other people!
208    
209  @section Keyserver Access  @section Keyserver Access
210    
211  An easy way to retrieve keys is the keyserver. You can think of  An easy way to retrieve keys is the keyserver. You can think of it like a huge database with a
212  it like a huge database with a lot of keys as its content. It is  lot of keys as its content. It is possible to search keys by a pattern, a keyid or even a
213  possible to search keys by a pattern, a keyid or even a fingerprint.  fingerprint.
214  WinPT allows to access different kind of keyservers. For example  WinPT allows to access different kind of keyservers. For example LDAP, HKP, Finger and HTTP.
215  LDAP, HKP, Finger and HTTP. But the focus will be set on HKP because  But the focus will be set on HKP because this is the common case.
 this is the common case.  
   
 In some situations WinPT asks the user whether to retrieve keys  
 automatically. One example is the signature verification when the  
 key that issued the signature was not found in the keyring.  
216    
217  The main keyserver dialog allows to fetch one or more keys directly  In some situations WinPT asks the user whether to retrieve keys automatically. One example is the
218  or to search for a given pattern.  signature verification when the key that issued the signature was not found in the keyring.
219    
220    The main keyserver dialog allows to fetch one or more keys directly or to search for a given pattern.
221    
222  @subsection Retrieve a key by Key ID  @subsection Retrieve a key by Key ID
223  The best way to fetch a key from the server is by the key ID.  The best way to fetch a key from the server is by the key ID.
224  Just enter the key ID, it is always a good idea to prefix it  Just enter the key ID, it is a good idea to prefix it with 0x, and click the "Receive" button.
 with 0x and click the "Receive" button.  
225    
226  An example:  An example:
227    
# Line 192  pattern: 0xBF3DF9B4 Line 231  pattern: 0xBF3DF9B4
231    
232    
233  @subsection Retrieve a key by its email address  @subsection Retrieve a key by its email address
234  If you only know the email address from your partner, you can  If you only know the email address from your partner, you can enter it instead of the key ID.
235  enter it instead of the key ID. It is unlikely but possible  It is unlikely but possible that there are more keys with the same address. In this situation,
236  that there are more keys with the same address. In this situation,  WinPT will warn you that multiple keys were imported. The difference to the search function is,
237  WinPT will warn you that multiple keys were imported. The difference  that the keys were dirctly fetched and not displayed as a key result list.
 to the search function is, that the keys were dirctly fetched and  
 not displayed as a key result list.  
238    
239    
240  An example:  An example:
# Line 208  gmx.net Line 245  gmx.net
245    
246    
247  @subsection Search for a key by pattern  @subsection Search for a key by pattern
248  If you want to communicate with a new mail partner and you are  If you want to communicate with a new mail partner and you are not sure about the key ID, it can
249  not sure about the key ID, it can be useful to search for his  be useful to search for his email address. This address is considered as quite unique.
250  email address. This address is considered as quite unique.  Not all keyserver support this query mode, so if you get an error please use subkeys.pgp.net.
251    
252  An example:  An example:
253    
# Line 218  windows-privacy-tray.com Line 255  windows-privacy-tray.com
255    
256  [Search]  [Search]
257    
258  Now a dialog is opened with a list of all keys which matched  Now a dialog is opened with a list of all keys which matched the search string. If the name
259  the search string. If the name @strong{and} the email address  @strong{and} the email address is known, the matching key should be selected and "Receive"
260  is known, the matching key should be selected and "Receive"  should be clicked. Then the key will be downloaded and added to your keyring. Now you can encrypt
261  should be clicked. Then the key will be downloaded and added  data with this key, for example an email.
262  to your keyring. Now you can encrypt data with this key, for  
 example an email.  
263    
264  @subsection Sending a Key to the Keyserver  @subsection Sending a Key to the Keyserver
265  After you generated a new key pair, it is a good idea to send your  After you generated a new key pair, it is a good idea to send your key to the keyserver to make
266  key to the keyserver to make it available for other users. If you  it available for other users. If you issue a signature, the key ID is part of the signature and
267  issue a signature, the key ID is part of the signature and people can  people can  automatically retrieve your key when they try to verify the signature.
268  automatically retrieve your key when they try to verify the signature.  
269    Actually, the action is performed in the Key Manager and not in the keyserver dialog. Just open
270  Actually, the action is performed in the Key Manager and not in the  the Key Manager, select the key you want to send right-click on it and chose "Send to Keyserver"
271  keyserver dialog. Just open the Key Manager, select the key you want  in the popup menu. Then a message box with the result is shown.
 to send right-click on it and chose "Send to Keyserver" in the popup  
 menu. Then a message box with the result is shown.  
272    
273  @subsection Add, Delete or Edit a Keyserver Entry  @subsection Add, Delete or Edit a Keyserver Entry
274  The keyserver dialog allow to change the existing keyserver entries,  The keyserver dialog allow to change the existing keyserver entries, to delete them or to add new
275  to delete them or to add new entries. Just right click on a selected  entries. Just right click on a selected item and a popup menu will be
276  item and a popup menu will be shown with ("Edit", "Remove" and "New").  shown with ("Edit", "Remove" and "New").
277    
278  @section Using the Clipboard  @section Using the Clipboard
279    
280  A major aim from the first day was, that the program does not  A major aim from the first day was, that the program does not depend on a special mailer client.
281  depend on a special mailer client. For this reason it uses the  For this reason it uses the clipboard to encrypt and/or sign data.
282  clipboard to encrypt and/or sign data.  For the examples, let's assume that you want to write a new mail or that you received a mail
283  For the examples, let's assume that you want to write a new  protected by GnuPG.
284  mail or that you received a mail protected by GnuPG.  
285    @subsection The Clipboard Editor
286    This dialog allows it to modify the clipboard contents directly and/or to display the contents of
287    the clipboard. It is also possible to load a text file into the clipboard or store the contents
288    into a file. For the convenience, the dialog also allows to encrypt and/or decrypt clipboard data.
289    
290  @subsection Encrypt Data in the Clipboard  @subsection Encrypt Data in the Clipboard
291  Just copy the text from the mailer window into the clipboard.  Just copy the text from the mailer window into the clipboard. This is usually done by CTRL+C,
292  This is usually done by CTRL+C, make sure you really selected  make sure you really selected all portions of the text. Then right-click on the tray icon and
293  all portions of the text. Then right-click on the tray icon  select Clipboard->Encryption. Now a dialog is shown to select the recipients. This means you need
294  and select Clipboard->Encryption. Now a dialog is shown to  to select all keys which should be able to decrypt the mail. Confirm with "OK". GnuPG now
295  select the recipients. This means you need to select all  encrypts the data with the selected recipients. At the end a message box with the result is
296  keys which should be able to decrypt the mail. Confirm with "OK".  shown. Now the clipboard should  contain the encrypted data. Just paste it into the mailer window.
297  GnuPG now encrypts the data with the selected recipients. At the  The output should contain a header and a footer "BEGIN PGP MESSAGE" and "END PGP MESSAGE.
 end a message box with the result is shown. Now the clipboard should  
 contain the encrypted data. Just paste it into the mailer window.  
 The output should contain a header and a footer  
 "BEGIN PGP MESSAGE" and "END PGP MESSAGE.  
298    
299  @subsection Decrypt/Verify Data from the Clipboard  @subsection Decrypt/Verify Data from the Clipboard
300  The most common case is propably that you got a signed email and  The most common case is propably that you got a signed email and now you want to verify it. For
301  now you want to verify it. For this procedure, you have to copy  this procedure, you have to copy the entire signature in the clipboard. The easiest way is to
302  the entire signature in the clipboard. The easiest way is to  use CTRL+A and CTRL+C, then all available text will be copied. WinPT (GnuPG) is smart enough to
303  use CTRL+A and CTRL+C, then all available text will be copied.  figure out the signature related data. Now go to the taskbar, display the popup menu and select
304  WinPT (GnuPG) is smart enough to figure out the signature related  Clipboard->Decrypt/Verify. Now a new dialog, the verify dialog, should be available on screen
305  data. Now go to the taskbar, display the popup menu and select  with all information about the signature. For example who is the signer, when was it signed how
306  Clipboard->Decrypt/Verify. Now a new dialog, the verify dialog,  much do you try this key and what was signed and most important, the status of it (is the
307  should be available on screen with all information about the  signature good or BAD).
308  signature. For example who is the signer, when was it signed  A special case is when you don't have the public key to verify the signature, if this happens
309  how much do you try this key and what was signed and most  WinPT offers to download the key from the default keyserver. If the key was not found, the
310  important, the status of it (is the signature good or BAD).  procedure is aborted because without the key the sig cannot bed checked.
 A special case is when you don't have the public key to verify  
 the signature, if this happens WinPT offers to download the key  
 from the default keyserver. If the key was not found, the procedure  
 is aborted because without the key the sig cannot bed checked.  
311    
312  @subsection Sign the Clipboard  @subsection Sign the Clipboard
313  We assume that text that shall be signed is already in the  We assume that text that shall be signed is already in the clipboard. If not, select the text you
314  clipboard. If not, select the text you want to sign and copy  want to sign and copy with via CTRL+C in the clipboard. Now go to the taskbar and open the peopup
315  with via CTRL+C in the clipboard. Now go to the taskbar and  menu, Clipboard->Sign. If you just have one secret key, the passphrase dialog will be automatically shown.
316  open the peopup menu, Clipboard->Sign. If you just have one  All you need is to enter your passphrase and confirm. In case of more available secret keys, a
317  secret key, the passphrase dialog will be automatically shown.  list with all keys is shown and you can select which key shall be used for signing.
318  All you need is to enter your passphrase and confirm. In case  The output is always a cleartext signature which is in text format. Do not try to sign binary
319  of more available secret keys, a list with all keys is shown  clipboard data, the result would be unpredictable and not readable by human beings.
 and you can select which key shall be used for signing.  
 The output is always a cleartext signature which is in text  
 format. Do not try to sign binary clipboard data, the result  
 would be unpredictable and not readable by human beings.  
320    
321  @section The Current Window Support  @section The Current Window Support
322  Compared to the clipboard mode, the CWS mode has some advantages.  Compared to the clipboard mode, the CWS mode has some advantages. Let us assume that you want to
323  Let us assume that you want to extract text from an editor window.  extract text from an editor window. With the CWS mode, the program automatically tries to focus
324  With the CWS mode, the program automatically tries to focus the  the window to select the text and to copy it to the clipboard and execute the
325  window to select the text and to copy it to the clipboard and  selected command (Sign, Encrypt, Decrypt) and pastes back the GPG data to the window.
326  execute the selected command (Sign, Encrypt, Decrypt).  No manual user interaction is needed. Except this different behaviour, it is very likewise to the
327  No manual user interaction is needed. Except this different behaviour,  clipboard mode and thus we do not describe each command again.
328  it is very likewise to the clipboard mode and thus we do not describe  
329  each command again.  But due to the nature of this mode, it is possible that some kind of windows are not supported.
330    Which means that the program cannot extract the text from the window. There is nothing we can do
331    about it, because it depends on the application itself how it reacts on certain Window messages.
332    But all windows which support the default copy/paste/select all commands should make no problems.
333    
334  @section The Key Manager  @section The Key Manager
335    
336  This part of the program is propably most important for many users.  This part of the program is propably most important for many users. It contains function to
337  It contains function to manage your keyring and to perform actions  manage your keyring and to perform actions which are required and/or useful in the OpenPGP environment.
 which are required and/or useful in the OpenPGP environment.  
338    
339  @subsection Tips  @subsection Tips
340    
341  @itemize @bullet  @itemize @bullet
342    
343  @item  @item
344  If you want to import quickly a key from a into the keyring, just  If you want to start the Key Manager directly, you can create a batch
345  drag and drop the file into the Key Manager window. Then the import  file with "winpt.exe --keymanager". This way you do not have to go to
346  procedure will be automatically started.  the task bar enable the icon and click on the Key Manager entry in the menu.
347    
348    @item
349    If you want to import quickly a key from a into the keyring, just drag and drop the file into the
350    Key Manager window. Then the import procedure will be automatically started.
351    
352  @item  @item
353  Key which were fetched from keyservers often contain a lot of,  Key which were fetched from keyservers often contain a lot of, maybe obsolete, self signatures,
354  maybe obsolete, self signatures, if you want to get rid of them  if you want to get rid of them you can use the Key Edit->Clean feature. Just start the edit
 you can use the Key Edit->Clean feature. Just start the edit  
355  dialog and select the clean command. That's it.  dialog and select the clean command. That's it.
356    
357  @item  @item
358  The keyserver dialog does not allow to import a key directly  The keyserver dialog does not allow to import a key directly via an URL, as an alternative you
359  via an URL, as an alternative you may use the "Import HTTP..."  may use the "Import HTTP..." feature in the Key Manager. With it you can directly fetch keys
 feature in the Key Manager. With it you can directly fetch keys  
360  from the web (Example: http://www.users.my-isp.de/~joe/gpg-keys.asc).  from the web (Example: http://www.users.my-isp.de/~joe/gpg-keys.asc).
361    
362  @item  @item
363  To customize the parameters of the generated key, you can use  To customize the parameters of the generated key, you can use the expert key generation.
364  the expert key generation. It allows you to set the public key  It allows you to set the public key algorithm and/or the size of the key directly.
 algorithm and/or the size of the key directly.  
365    
366  @item  @item
367  Most of the list view based dialogs allow to use the right  Most of the list view based dialogs allow to use the right mouse button, to show popup menus with
368  mouse button, to show popup menus with available commands.  available commands.
369    
370  @end itemize  @end itemize
371    
372  @subsection Create a Revocation Certificate  @subsection Create a Revocation Certificate
373    It is very important to do this step early as possible. With this certificate, you can revoke
374  It is very important to do this step early as possible. With this  your entire key. The reason for this can be for example, that your key is no longer used or even
375  certificate, you can revoke your entire key. The reason for this  compromised.
376  can be for example, that your key is no longer used or even compromised.  After you generated the revocation cert, you should move it to a secure place because anybody who
377  After you generated the revoc cert, you should move it to a secure place  gets access to it, can render your key unuseable.
378  because anybody who gets access to it, can render your key unuseable.  
379    Just right-click on your key and select "Revoke Cert". If you do this step directly after key
380  Just right-click on your key and select "Revoke Cert". If you do this  generation, there is no need to change the default values. Just select a file name and enter the
381  step directly after key generation, there is no need to change the  passphrase. The program issues a warning which should be read carefully.
 default values. Just select a file name and enter the passphrase.  
 The program issues a warning which should be read carefully.  
382    
383  @subsection Adding a new Secondary Key  @subsection Adding a new Secondary Key
384    For most users the existing keys in the key pair are enough and no extra key is needed. But there
385  For most users the existing keys in the key pair are enough  are some exceptions.
 and no extra key is needed. But there are some exceptions.  
386    
387  @itemize @bullet  @itemize @bullet
388    
389  @item  @item
390  The primary key has no secondary key and the primary key is not  The primary key has no secondary key and the primary key is not able to encrypt data. In this
391  able to encrypt data. In this case it can be a good idea to  case it can be a good idea to add a secondary encryption key.
 add a secondary encryption key.  
392    
393  @item  @item
394  A lot of people use secondary encryption keys with an expiration  A lot of people use secondary encryption keys with an expiration date. Usually the key is valid
395  date. Usually the key is valid for 1-2 years. After the key is expired,  for 1-2 years. After the key is expired, a new key is needed in order to encrypt data.
 a new key is needed in order to encrypt data.  
396    
397  @end itemize  @end itemize
398    
399  What kind of public key algorithm should be selected is a matter  What kind of public key algorithm should be selected is a matter of taste. RSA and ElGamal are
400  of taste. RSA and ElGamal are both capable for encryption. For most  both capable for encryption. For most users it's a good idea to let the program chose the key
401  users it's a good idea to let the program chose the key size (in bits).  size (in bits). The default settings should be secure enough for most purposes.
 The default settings should be secure enough for most purposes.  
402    
403  @subsection Adding a new User ID  @subsection Adding a new User ID
404  If you got a new email account, it's propably a good idea to  If you got a new email account, it's propably a good idea to add these new account to your key
405  add these new account to your key also. For example:  also. For example:
406    
407  A new account was registed at gmail.com (john.doo@@gmail.com).  A new account was registed at gmail.com (john.doo@@gmail.com).
408  Then you should create a new user ID with the following fields:  Then you should create a new user ID with the following fields:
409    
410  name: John Doo  name: John Doo
# Line 390  gmail.com Line 413  gmail.com
413    
414  comment: (optional)  comment: (optional)
415    
416  Now email programs are able to associate this address with your  Now email programs are able to associate this address with your key when somebody wants to send
417  key when somebody wants to send you a protected mail to this account.  you a protected mail to this account.
418    
419  @subsection Adding a new Photographic ID  @subsection Adding a new Photographic ID
420  With this function you can add a photo to your public. It will be  With this function you can add a photo to your public. It will be displayed in the key property
421  displayed in the key property dialog.  dialog.
422    
423  You just need to select a JPEG file which contains the photo and  You just need to select a JPEG file which contains the photo and enter your passphrase and
424  enter your passphrase and confirm with OK. Please read the note  confirm with OK. Please read the note in the dialog carefully to make sure the photo has a proper
425  in the dialog carefully to make sure the photo has a proper size  size (file, height and weight).
 (file, height and weight).  
426    
427  @subsection Adding a new Designated Revoker  @subsection Adding a new Designated Revoker
428  If you want to allow another key to revoke your own key, this  If you want to allow another key to revoke your own key, this might be useful if you lost your
429  might be useful if you lost your secret or a simliar situation,  secret or a simliar situation, you can use this function to add a designated revoker to your key.
430  you can use this function to add a designated revoker to your key.  
431    All you need to do is to select the key you want to add as a desig revoker. But please bear in
432  All you need to do is to select the key you want to add as a desig  mind that this procedure cannot be undone and that this person really has the power to make your
433  revoker. But please bear in mind that this procedure cannot be undone  public key unuseable. You really should trust the selected key, in case it is not a key owned by yourself.
 and that this person really has the power to make your public key  
 unuseable. You really should trust the selected key, in case it is  
 not a key owned by yourself.  
434    
435  @subsection Export a Public Key  @subsection Export a Public Key
436  There are several reason why to export a public key and there  There are several reason why to export a public key and there are also several ways to do it. If
437  are also several ways to do it. If you want to send the key  you want to send the key directly to a mail recipient, you can select the key, right-click,
438  directly to a mail recipient, you can select the key, right-click,  and select "Send Key to Mail Recipient". As an alternative, you can also export it to the
439  and select "Send Key to Mail Recipient". As an alternative, you  clipboard or to a file. To export a key to the clipboard, you can select "Copy key to Clipboard"
440  can also export it to the clipboard or to a file. To export a  in the popup menu of the selected key. To export it to a file, you need to select the menu "Key"
441  key to the clipboard, you can select "Copy key to Clipboard"  and then "Export...". The program will automatically suggest a name for the output.
442  in the popup menu of the selected key. To export it to a file,  
443  you need to select the menu "Key" and then "Export...". The  @subsection Export your Secret Key
444  program will automatically suggest a name for the output.  This command should be used with caution because it exports your secret key. Please bear in mind
445    that you should never export your key to a place where it can be accessed by others.
446    An USB stick or a likewise mobile storage device should be used for the export.
447    
448  @subsection Import a Public Key  @subsection Import a Public Key
449  Similar to the key import, the import of a key can be done in  Similar to the key import, the import of a key can be done in several ways. First, let's assume
450  several ways. First, let's assume you got a mail with an OpenPGP  you got a mail with an OpenPGP key included as inline text. Then you can use the current window
451  key included as inline text. Then you can use the current window  feature and "Decrypt/Verify" to import the key. Alternative you also may use the clipboard.
452  feature and "Decrypt/Verify" to import the key. Alternative you  To achieve this, you first need to select the entire key (CTRL+A) and then copy it to the
453  also may use the clipboard. To achieve this, you first need to  clipboard (CTRL+C), then use the Key Manager (Edit->Paste) to import it. If the key is stored as
454  select the entire key (CTRL+A) and then copy it to the clipboard  an attachment, or you want to import a key from a file in general, just drag the file and drop it
 (CTRL+C), then use the Key Manager (Edit->Paste) to import it.  
 If the key is stored as an attachment, or you want to import  
 a key from a file in general, just drag the file and drop it  
455  into the Key Manager window or use "Key" -> "Import...".  into the Key Manager window or use "Key" -> "Import...".
456    
457  @subsection Sign a Public Key  @subsection Sign a Public Key
458  If you verified that a key really belongs to its owner, you  If you verified that a key really belongs to its owner, you should sign the key to integrate it
459  should sign the key to integrate it into your Web of Trust  into your Web of Trust and also to mark the key as valid in your keyring. Do not sign a key you
460  and also to mark the key as valid in your keyring. Do not sign  just got via email with the request to sign it. Anybody can create a key with your (or better ANY) name,
461  a key you just got via email with the request to sign it. Anybody  these information are no hint to whom the key really belongs. You can check a key
462  can create a key with your (or better ANY) name, these information  by meeting or calling the key owner and verify the key fingerprint of the key with the one
463  are no hint to whom the key really belongs. You can check a key  published by the key owner. Additional checks should be to watch at his driver license or the
464  by meeting or calling the key owner and verify the key fingerprint  identity card to make sure that name of the key matches the name of the key owner. After this
465  of the key with the one published by the key owner. Additional checks  procedure is done, you can open the Key Manager, select the right key and either use the context
466  should be to watch at his driver license or the identity card to make  menu "Sign Key" or use the toolbar button.
467  sure that name of the key matches the name of the key owner. After  
468  this procedure is done, you can open the Key Manager, select the  The next dialog will summarize the key information and some additional options. For example if
469  right key and either use the context menu "Sign Key" or use the  the signature should be local or exportable. Local means the signature will be stripped if you
470  toolbar button.  export the key and no one else except you can use it to calculate the validity. If you mark the
471    signature exportable, any other user can see and use it. Now you can select the key you want to
472  The next dialog will summarize the key information and some  use to sign and enter the passphrase. Confirm with "OK" and the key will be signed.  Now the validity
473  additional options. For example if the signature should be  of the new key is "Full". It is propably a good idea to set the ownertrust of the key.
474  local or exportable. Local means the signature will be stripped  For a detailled description, see the chapter "Key Ownertrust".
 if you export the key and no one else except you can use it to  
 calculate the validity. If you mark the signature exportable,  
 any other user can see and use it. Now you can select the key  
 you want to use to sign and enter the passphrase. Confirm with "OK"  
 and the key will be signed. Now the validity of the new key is  
 "Full". It is propably a good idea to set the ownertrust of the  
 key. For a detailled description, see the chapter "Key Ownertrust".  
475    
476  @subsection Key Ownertrust  @subsection Key Ownertrust
477  First we should explain what the ownertrust of a key is. The ownertrust  First we should explain what the ownertrust of a key is. The ownertrust is a measurement how much
478  is a measurement how much you trust somebody to certify and check keys  you trust somebody to certify and check keys of other people. For example, if you know that Bob
479  of other people. For example, if you know that Bob is really the owner  is really the owner of the key, you should sign it. But he is also known to sign other keys
480  of the key, you should sign it. But he is also known to sign other keys  without checking the idenity of the other key owner. Values for the ownertrust are
481  without checking the idenity of the other key owner. Values for the  1) Don't Know 2) Don't Trust 3) Marginal 4) Full
482  ownertrust are 1) Don't Know 2) Don't Trust 3) Marginal 4) Full  and thus you should propably use an ownertrust value like "Marginal". But this is a personal
483  and thus you should propably use an ownertrust value like "Marginal".  decision and stored in a separate file and never exported with the public keys. For further
484  But this is a personal decision and stored in a separate file and  information, please take a look into the GNU Privacy Handbook.
485  never exported with the public keys. For further information, please  Just a last work on Key Pairs, they are automatically marked as "Ultimate" because the key
486  take a look into the GNU Privacy Handbook.  belongs to you and you trust it implicit.
487  Just a last work on Key Pairs, they are automatically marked as  
488  "Ultimate" because the key belongs to you and you trust it implicit.  @subsection List Signatures
489    This dialog contains a list of all signatures of the selected key. The basic dialog, the tree
490    based version, just shows signatures when the issuer key is in the public keyring. A double click
491    opens the signature property dialog which contains detailled description about the selected
492    signature. A dialog which is useful for people who wants to get all information about the key
493    signatures, can click on the "Edit.." button.
494    
495    @subsection Copy Key Information to the Clipboard
496    Often it is useful to copy parts of the user ID to the clipboard. One example is that you want to
497    send an email to the key owner or that you want to search the key by the email address or you
498    want to copy the fingerprint to the clipboard to paste it somewhere else.
499    This command is available in the popup menu (right click).
500    
501    @subsection Delete one or more Keys
502    To delete a key, or more than one key, you just need to select the keys in the Key Manager and
503    either select "Delete" or use the toolbar button.
504    Be careful if you delete a key pair, because you will not be able to decrypt and/or sign data any
505    longer. In any case you should have a backup of your key pair at a safe place.
506    
507    @subsection Re-verify Signatures
508    After you refreshed or imported a lot of new keys, either from a file or the keyserver, it is a
509    good idea to re-verify the signature in the keyring. This speeds up listing operations.
510    
511    @subsection Refresh one or more Public Keys from the Keyserver
512    From time to time it can be useful to refresh keys from the keyring. The reason for this is,
513    that the key might contain new subkeys, user IDs and or new signatures. It is also possible
514    that the expiration date of a key has been updated or other preferences were changed. And
515    maybe even the worst case, that a key has been compromised and is now revoked.
516    If you want to update a single key, select it and right click on it. Then select the item
517    "Refresh from the Keyserver" in the popup menu. If you do not select any key, the Key Manager
518    assumes that you want to refresh all keys in the keyring. Please bear in mind that this
519    can be a lengthy process if you have a lot of keys in your keyring.
520    
521    @subsection WinPT Website
522    If you want to check for updates or general information about the Windows Privacy Tray program,
523    you can select this menu item.
524    The WWW webite of WinPT will be loaded in the default browser.
525    If you want to visit the project website directly, select the "Project Website" entry.
526    
527    @subsection The Key Edit Dialog
528    For the average GPG user, the popup menu of the Key Manager contains all command to manage your
529    keys. For example to add a key/userid/revoker/photo, just right click on the click and select the
530    command from the "Add" submenu.
531    But for advanced users, this dialog contain a lot of extra commands to customize your key.
532    
533    The main dialog contains a list of all keys in the first list view box and all user IDs in the
534    second list view box. The help button gives you a short hint about each command and what it does.
535    For example you can set the primary user ID via the "primary" command or with "deluid" you can
536    delete the selected user ID. Please always bear in mind, that most keyserver are not able to
537    remove user IDs in its database so if another user fetch your 'updated' key from the keyserver
538    the user ID might be still part of the key. If you want to make an user ID unuseable, you should
539    revoke it. This is also possible with this dialog.
540    
541    @subsection Update your Preferences in the Key Manager
542    To avoid that the user needs detour to select the taskbar icon, click on it, etc., all
543    preferences can be changed in the Key Manager via the Edit->Preferences... menu.
544    
545    @section The File Manager
546    
547    @subsection Introduction
548    The File Manager is no replacement for an Explorer Extension. If you secure your files frequently
549    and you want to do this fast and easy, I suggest to install GPGee. It is a program which
550    integrates itself into the explorer and provide menu entries in the context menu of files and
551    directory. But the File Manager can be very useful if you just want to decrypt and/or encrypt
552    some files without additional programs. You can find the File Manager via the symbol in the
553    taskbar, right click and then "File Manager".
554    
555    @subsection An Overview of the GUI
556    First there are different ways to add (open) files in the Key Manager. The easiest way is to use
557    drag and drop to add files into the File Manager. Just drag a file from the explorer and drop it
558    into the File Manager window. The second way is to use File->Open. A dialog opens which is common
559    for all "File Open" operations in most Windows application. Now you can select one or more files
560    and confirm. The files will be automatically added to the File Manager window. The main window
561    consists of a listview with three rows.
562    
563    The first row is the status of the file. It can be "ENCRYPTED", "SIGNED", "PUBKEY", "SECKEY",
564    "SIG" or "UNKNOWN". Dependent on the file status, the File Manager offers different choices.
565    For example "SIG" enables the verify options in the (popup) menu. "UNKNOWN" is the default for
566    all plaintext files.
567    The second row is the file name. And the last row is the status of the operation. It can be
568    either "", "SUCCESS" or "FAILED". An empty status means no operation was started yet. FAILED
569    indicates that the  GnuPG operation failed. In this case an error message was issued before.
570    
571    Now it follows an example:
572    We assume that user wants to encrypt "c:\My Ideas\GPG GUI.txt". Drag the file from the Explorer
573    and drop it into the open File Manager, the main window. The file will be added and recognized
574    as "UNKNOWN". Now we select the file and right click, a popup menu is shown and we select
575    "Encrypt". An new dialog is opened which looks similar to the Clipboard Encryption dialog.
576    Just select the recipients and confirm. In contrast to clipboard encryption, file encryption
577    offers some more extra options. They are described later. And hour glass will be shown as long as
578    GnuPG takes to encrypt the file. When the procedure is done, the third row should be change
579    to "SUCCESS" and the first row to "ENCRYPTED".
580    
581    @subsection Verify Detached Signatures
582    Most of the signature are detached, which means that the signature is separated from the data.
583    Usually you need to verify a detached signature when you have downloaded a software package or
584    an update of it. The steps to verify such a signature are easy. Just open the File Manager and
585    drag the detached signature in the File Manager window.
586    Now select the signature and select "Verify" either via the popup menu or the File menu.
587    In most cases you propably need to download the verification key, before you can verify the signature.
588    
589    @subsection General Options
590    Now we describe the general options which are possible in some File Manager dialogs.
591    
592    @itemize
593    
594    @item Text Output
595    When this option is checked, the output will be encoded in ASCII armor. This can be useful if the
596    file should be transfered via email. The size of the output file is larger than the usual binary
597    output.
598    
599    @item Wipe Original
600    If this option is checked, the original file will be deleted after successfull encryption.
601    This can be useful if data should not be available in plaintext any longer on a machine.
602    
603    @end itemize
604    
605    
606    @section A short Note about Cryptographic Issues
607    
608    WinPT itself does not perform any real encryption, signing or decryption. Instead it uses
609    GPG as the backend program which provides all kind of cryptographic code to perform the
610    needed operations.
611    
612    The default values WinPT uses for key sizes, should be sufficient for personal and commercial
613    security for the next years. If you are concerned about the default values, you can always use
614    the expert key generation to make your own decision. GPG also provides
615    default values for symmetric cipher preferences. By default, the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)
616    is used which provides a very good security. You can manually modify your key preferences, this
617    includes cipher, hash, and compression but usually this is not necessary and also can do harm if
618    you use algorithms which are not very widespread among other OpenPGP programs.
619    
620    @section WinPT and Personal Firewalls
621    
622    Because the program uses a global hook to remember the last active current window, it might be
623    possible that Firewalls warn that the process contains a global hook which is a potential
624    security risk. In some cases, there might be even a warning that key logging is possible.
625    This is a false alarm because the hook provided by the program, a CTB (Computer Based Training)
626    hook, can be only used to save handles of newly created windows, or windows which are
627    activated or in case of a focus change. Details can be found in the source code of the program
628    or additional information about the CTB hook at msdn.microsoft.com
629    
630    To provide access to keyservers and to download HTTP keys, the program
631    needs to be able to make outbound connections to the following ports: 80 (http), 11371 (keyserver)
632    
633    @subsection Using a HTTP Proxy
634    If you are behind a firewall and you have no chance make a connection to a keyserver, maybe
635    because of a policy, you can use a http proxy for outbound connections. Open the Keyserver dialog
636    and click on the button "Change Proxy". A new dialog opens where you can enter the proxy specific
637    host name and ports. If the proxy requires authentication, you also have to provide your user name
638    and your password. Please bear in mind that only a base64 authentication is supported and no other
639    proxy types (SOCKS for example) can be used.
640    
641    
642    @section Reporting a Problem (Bug) or a Feature Request
643    
644    For the case that you have problems with the program, that includes crashes or or the handling,
645    please first check the forum at http://wald.intevation.org to see if someone else reported and/or
646    wrote about the issue. It is possible that the issue is already solved/answered in the forum.
647    Plus all other users can benefit of it because maybe another person has the same problem and then
648    he can check the forum and will find the answer.
649    
650    Feature requests can be submitted at the same site in a different tab (Tracker->Feature Request).
651    There is no guarantee that the request will be implemented in the next version. The reason is,
652    that other issues might be more important or that the request must be first discussed with other
653    developers. But each request will be considered.
654    
655    For the case that you found a bug, it is very important to provide much details as possible to
656    allow the developers to track down the problem and to fix it easily. Please do not forgot to be
657    precise as possible and the best idea is to provide a step-by-step text to reproduce the problem.
658    
659    @section Problem with the Program or an unexpected Behaviour
660    
661    First let me say that it is very important always to use the newest version. Each new version
662    contains bug fixes and might also fix usability issues. This is also valid for GPG, WinPT
663    checks that the minimum GPG version is available but even so it is important and often useful to
664    have the newest GPG version if this is possible.
665    
666    But sometimes the problem is not the software itself, but the software which was involved to
667    transfer the data. Here are some examples of what could happen:
668    
669    - The downloaded file could be broken (FTP ascii->binary issue) and thus WinPT is unable to
670      verify the signature. In this case you should download the file again.
671    
672    - A mailer broke the signature because the line endings were altered or the mail text was wrapped
673      after the signature was issued. There is no solution to this problem, except to use
674      a smart Mail Client.
675    
676    - A public key (file or clipboard) will not be recognized but the data should definitely contain
677      one or more keys. Sometimes line endings are messed up or white spaces were removed. In
678      this case GPG/WinPT is not able to detect when the data begins and the header section starts.
679      You can use the clipboard editor to see if the ascii armor is broken. If this happened, the
680      file must be repaired manually or should be sent again.
681    
682    - WinPT reports that the key could not be imported because of missing self signature or a
683      likewise message. To make sure that the receiver can really verify the key belongs to its
684      owner, the key carries a self signature which can be checked by anybody. Some PGP 2.6 version
685      do not issue this self signature and some other PGP versions might be also able to
686      supress its generation. Such a key cannot be used, even if the import were forced. The solution
687      to this problem is easy but sometimes not possible. Ask the key issuer to self sign his key and
688      to upload it to the keyserver or send it again.
689      But sometimes companies have a policy and thus newly generated keys are not self signed. I do
690      not know what to do in this case except for asking if it would be possible to sign a copy of
691      the key.
692    
693    - You received a message from a user which uses PGP and WinPT/GPG will not be able to decrypt it.
694      First let me say that this should happen very seldom with newer (PGP >= 7) versions of PGP.
695      The reason could be, that IDEA has been used. A patented Cipher which is not included in GPG.
696      GPG will not be able to decrypt the data because it has been ciphered with IDEA. There is no
697      solution for this problem, except to use the IDEA plug-in. But be advised that the IDEA
698      algorithm is only free for private use and NOT for commercial mails.
699    
700      Another problem could be, that your files cannot be automatically decrypted by the receiver
701      (who uses PGP) because the file extension of it is .GPG. You can solve this problem by changing
702      the default extension in the WinPT preferences from .GPG to .PGP.
703    
704      To minimize the change of problems when you communicate with a PGP user, you can add "pgp8" or
705      "pgp7" to your gpg.conf. This can be done via the Key Manager
706      ->Edit->Preferences...->GPG Config Preferences.
707    
708    
709    @section How can I help the Project
710    
711    There are several ways to help the project. For example you could provide (or work on) the
712    existing documentation or write new docs. You could translate WinPT into a new language or
713    maintain an existing language file. Of course it is also possible to contribute code or to
714    become part of the WinPT developer crew.
715    
716    @subsection What I need for Development
717    First, you need a Windows C-compiler and knowledge how to use the tools and the Win32 API. There
718    is no need to use MS-Visual C,  you can use Ming-W32 (gcc) and a free IDE to hack some code.
719    The default building environment is a mingw32 hosted on Linux and it produces W32 executables.
720    
721    If you plan to contribute some code or to work on an item from the TODO file, please contact me
722    first to make sure no one else is working on it and that and we can discuss the details.
723    
724    @section Closing Words
725    Please remember that currently the core WinPT crew is just me and thus it might take some time to
726    respond to forum messages, and mails. If my spare time allows it, I try to respond quick as
727    possible. But as a free software project, I do most coding in my spare time and I can't guarantee
728    anything. If you need commercial support for WinPT or GPG in general,
729    please contact g10 Code GmbH.
730    
731  @bye  @bye
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